About

Hi! My name is Elise. I live in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. English is not my native language so bear with me for the awkward writing style!

I first started this blog because it sounded like a good idea to tackle several things at once: do something creative while keeping track of my weird-looking cooking experiments, stay motivated at the gym and improve my English.

I enjoy eating (a lot), working-out at the gym, and living an active lifestyle. I am not a vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or paleo eater. I’m a “flexitarian”: an omnivore who’s just looking for balance in her overall diet.

The only food that I really don’t tolerate is sugar: I have a big sweet tooth, but sugar basically makes me feel horrible in the long run (addictive effect, mood swings etc.) So I decided to focus this blog on healthier desserts and treats.

Comments

Laura here from Greatist—just letting you know we’ve just released a list of the Top 60 Must-Read Health and Fitness Blogs for 2012, and congrats! Fitness Treats has made the list in the Tumblr section.

We went through a long process of reading through blogs—and hand picked them based on their consistently high-quality content and value of information. Moreover, we at Greatist are all fans of Fitness Treats, and are proud to promote another inspiring site that works to improve people’s health & wellbeing.

Please feel free to share this list with your fans and followers, and congrats again!

Hi Elise!
I’m so glad i found your blog! I’m an enthusiastic health/fitness/cooking blog reader but i have never found a true european blog that i loved. Until now! :) I’m from Portugal and i travel a lot! I’ve been in Amsterdam about two years ago and in that same trip i also went to Paris, both of “your countrys”. :)

I have some doubts about my fitness routine and i would love to know your opinion….preferably not in the comment section couse i dont wanna bother all the readers with facts and funs of my pour fitness routine :)

Hey there,
I follow you on Tumblr and really enjoy your recipes. I noticed that you use coconut oil. I just heard about the benefits of using coconut oil for weight loss and thyroid problems. Have you heard about that? If so, what do you think?
Thanks so much!! Keep up the good work.
Jan

Hi Jan, yes, I watched Dr. Oz’s show about it: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/coconut-oil-super-powers-pt-1 When it comes to all “super foods”, I’m always a bit skeptical about the benefits. I like using coconut oil occasionnally for the texture and its neutral taste in some recipes, but I prefer using olive oil as my main “basic oil” because it is cheaper and it has been used for centuries here in Europe.

I have been researching the diets of healthy populations based on the Weston A. Price Foundation and Sally Fallon’s “Nourishing Traditions.” I have enjoyed reading your blog, because it is nice to get a European woman’s point of view on diet. However, I’m lately tending to follow more of the high fat, high protein traditional diets in order to regain health and lose body fat. I have started blogging about what I learn at http://TraditionalPhilosophies.blogspot.com .

I’m curious to know if the milk, cheeses and other dairy products in France and the Netherlands are raw and unpasteurized (and often cultured) which makes them healthier for the digestive system. Such foods in addition to healthy, organic animal fats are supposed to help with increased immunity, improved digestion, fat and weight loss, better skin tone, and just overall health. What do you know about such foods in your culture(s) and the effect they have on people’s health?

I lived in Europe (Hungary) for awhile and I found my health much improved (and I was thinner) during that time, so I’m just curious.

Most of Dutch cheeses are semi-hard cheeses made with pasteurized milk. They have a high fat content (40%) and are very salted so I usually avoid them. But Dutch people do have some great dairy products: Dutch quark which is a kind of Greek yogurt (usually made with pasteurized milk but low in fat and high in protein) and Karnemelk which is a kind of buttermilk with an astringent and sour taste. I really enjoy both of theses products. They’re also available in ‘goat milk’ versions and taste fantastic especially when they’re made by local organic producers.

When it comes to French dairy, yes, there are several kinds of French cheeses made with raw milk: basically all the soft cheeses that smell (like Camembert, Rocamadour, St Marcelin). French people don’t know a lot about the advantages and disadvantages of raw milk. Women are usually told to avoid these kinds of cheeses when they’re pregnant but that’s about it. It doesn’t seem to be a subject for debate like in North America. I’m not sure though that these cheeses made with raw milk help me with fat loss because I love them so much and they’re far from being low fat! Portion control is key to indulge in them without taking in too many calories :) But it’s true that they’re easy to digest.

I think the main difference between dairy consumption in North America versus Europe is that North Americans tend to rely a lot on cow milk (I see these “Got milk?”-ads so frequently when reading American magazines), whereas Europeans like switching things up with products made with milk from goats, sheep or other kinds of cattle: Greek feta, Italian mozzarella di buffala, French goat cheese, etc.

Elise,
I love your blog. I work at Walk Inn Provence, the company that set up your self-guided cycling tour through Provence. I scouted the routes for your holiday and wrote the “Roadbook” you used. I hope you enjoyed your holiday!
We have several new holidays out this year, and we’re even promoting a Tour de France cycling holiday to see the summit arrival on Mont Ventoux on July 14th:http://www.walkinnprovence.com/en/cycling-product-TDF0B.html
All the best,
Stuart

Hi Chloe, I buy my protein powder at a supplement store in my area (Fit & Fightshop – Eerste van Swindenstraat). There are two other stores where you can find a broader choices of brands: The Natural Health Company (Vijzelstraat 1) and Your Health Store (Prinsengracht 502). You’ll also find protein powders in the many “De Tuinen” stores, but I usually don’t find what I’m looking for in these stores. I try to buy protein powder with the least amount of extra ingredients: I always take a moment to read the nutrition labels of several jars before making a choice.

Nice blog you have! I live in Amsterdam as well and it’s always to see fellow Amsterdammers write about food and health! I’ll be checking out your recipes for sure, and perhaps I can help you out too with finding good food sources in good old Mokum! ;-)

Hi Sabine, thanks for your comment! I took a look at your blog, very interesting! And I didn’t even know the Crossfit gym you’re going to! I thought there was only one cross fit gym in Amsterdam (the one in Nieuw Vennep), but now I’m glad I’ve discovered there is also your gym in Amsterdam Zuid!

I’ve just read up on the ‘Gyms you’ve tried in Amsterdam’ since I’m looking into moving there in June. It’s always hard to maintain a good routine when you move so I’m super glad you’ve posted that review! Now to pick and see which will work best… ;)

Hi Ally, thanks! If you need more advice once you’ve arrived, let me know (on Facebook, Tumblr or Twitter) in which area of the city you’ll be staying, I may be able to give you gym tips about a specific neighborhood :)

I eat Paleo and most of your recipes I can use.
I love that you take a lot of pictures of the products you use and what it should look like. Another plus is that you live in the Netherlands as do I, so I can find all the products in my store (instead of the American ingredients I can’t always find).

Thank you Pooja! Nice to hear that you appreciate my twists on Indian sweets! I sometimes think I’m totally denaturing the traditional recipes and I imagine Indian readers leaving angry comments like “Stop messing with our recipes!” … But I come up with these modifications for a good cause! (less fat and less sugar :).

Hi Elise,
I have enjoyed reading your blog. I am new to the whole fitness thing and would like some advice on the best workout classes for me. I have never done a gym session – I was always underweight at school and concentrated on putting on weight rather than losing it. Now I am almost 25years old, weight just under 50kg, 5ft 4in and have noticed I have started to weight excess weight around my waist, stomach and top of my thighs. What classes or exercises would you recommend for me to tone these areas? I have a pretty hectic work life as I am a nurse and do shift work so classes are best for me.

I was used to your blog in french, but since i ve discovered this one, i will read it! I like your tone and your writing style, thanks to you I keep discovering workout exercises. Keep going, I really like reading regularly your blog and the comments of the people!

Hi Elise, love your blog, and just checked out your about page and realized we have even more in common than protein powder recipes! I noticed that you’re from Amsterdam, and I lived in Den Haag for 7 years! So the next time I’m visiting The Netherlands, we’ll have to get together for a coffee and some protein cookies :)

Hi Elise,
great blog! For me its highlights are that it is very manageable, the recipes are relatively simple and do not involve a huge list of ingredients, it is European-friendly (ingredientwise) and honest about the outcome of the recipes! I also like your balanced tone and the fact that you provide interesting information on the side.
Personally, I care a lot about what I eat (I’m Italian, and I live in France!), both regarding the taste (a bad meal is for me a missed opportunity, a very serious sin!) and for health reasons (actually I do not enjoy unhealthy food much…with the exception of foie gras, French cheese, good wine and some French gateaux, I guess! I also like pasta, but it makes me feel bloated, so it’s not so difficult to give it up) but I don’t have much time to dedicate to cooking and to studying the subject, hence I appreciate a website like yours, easy to navigate, going quickly to the point.
I am relatively new to the world of low-carb high-protein eating and I have lots of questions, regarding ingredients, recipes and kitchen tools. I will post them in the appropriate sections.
Keep up the good work!

Grazie Tamara! Yes, don’t hesitate to post any questions below the articles.
If you’re comfortable reading French, you can also take a look at my French blog, fitnessfriandises.fr. I translate the English recipes but I also publish other fitness-related articles.

Can’t wait to try some of these recipes. I was looking for high protein snacks. I actually came across your recipe for imitation Nutella. It was fabulous. My teenage niece even liked it! Thanks for all of the great ideas.